


Beat of the Heart

by ThereIsNoTragedyInThat



Series: Cuddling Drabbles [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Boys In Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, Don't copy to another site, Drabble, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Stephen Strange, Short & Sweet, Tony Stark Has A Heart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-10-29 22:09:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20803763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat/pseuds/ThereIsNoTragedyInThat
Summary: Tony is injured once again and Stephen is by his side.





	Beat of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> Link to the cuddling prompt list: https://visionarygalaxy.tumblr.com/post/187541345666/cuddling-prompts 
> 
> Seven: Comforting

Tony watched through half-lidded eyes from his hospital bed. The clock had just turned nine and despite being a private med bay at the compound, the workers had successfully ushered out his visitors. Well…most of them. In the dim, sickening glow of the room, Stephen hovered next to the bed, the Cloak supporting his weight with ease. His lover’s eyes were closed, palms resting against his crossed legs, back straight, and mind certainly miles away.

Stephen had looked better.

For the moment his skin was pasty, making the purpling bruise on his cheekbone cast a shadow over the entirety of his face. Somewhere beneath the never-ending layers of robes, belts, and tunics, a wound had been poorly patched up, the only evidence being the dark spot stained into the fabric.

For all that, Stephen seemed composed…almost peaceful. He wasn’t. Only an hour prior, when Tony’s heart had stuttered and stopped, Stephen had donned the cold, calculating mask that had made him infamous at one time. Since gaining consciousness, Tony had been waiting for Stephen, _his_ Stephen to come back, to drop the charade. He tried being patient, but his attention span had always been short, and he was growing restless.

Tony shifted almost minutely, tried not to grind his teeth in aggravation at the incessant beeping of the heart monitor. The bed, while state of art, didn’t compare to the one in the Tower, or even Stephen’s ornate four poster. In fact, part of him seriously considered sneaking from the room and slipping away to…just about anywhere else.

“Stop moving, you’ll pull a line.”

Tony looked up at the sound of Stephen’s horse voice. He found the sorcerer watching him with dark eyes, so very telling. Nothing else of his posture had changed, not even his expression, yet Tony felt something release inside him all the same. Despite his bruised and battered body, Tony smiled at Stephen widely, held back any remarks about how long he had been away.

Stephen slumped even as his gaze darted toward the vitals being read out routinely and Tony, exhausted and over the concern decided he’d had enough. Patting the space next to him insistently, he raised an eyebrow at Stephen.

The sorcerer stared at the spot for a long moment. It was a battle he would loose, just like all the other times they had been forced to spend the night in hospitals and sick rooms. The Cloak, too, seemed to be on his side. Before Stephen could utter any of his soft commands, he was lowered to the floor and abandoned by his favourite outerwear, when it quickly floated over and spread itself on Tony’s lap.

There was no quiet objection to be had at that. Stephen uttered a soft sigh and gracefully clambered onto the bed beside him. Tony shifted to the side gingerly, biting his lip to keep any exclamation of pain from his escaping, until there was a sorcerer sized hole. Stephen managed to tuck on his long limbs into the space, face pressed to Tony’s shoulder, wound being guarded by the elbow of his free arm.

It wasn’t long before the warmth of his sorcerer began to seep into his skin through the thin blanket. Tony tilted his head so he could rest it on Stephen’s hair and simply felt the sensation of hot breath against his skin and subtle movement of a breathing man. Comfortable would be a stretch, but comforting? Absolutely perfect.

“I love you.”

Tony smiled and hummed in response. He had learned long ago that a simple repetition of those words did little to reassure Stephen. No, the man preferred action and Tony had already given his when he tugged Stephen closer and began to drift away, certain he was safe with the sorcerer laying next to him.


End file.
